Late, last drunken night, I posted a topic that has been locked down for fairly clear and reasonable reasons. I meant no offence, though if you were offended, tough shit, so what, be offended. The topic had come up in previous posts and I merely wanted to know the opinions of the many people I like and respect on this forum. I know it's a bike forum and had thoughts not been clouded by a certain amount of the Russian stuff I probably wouldn't have posted it. However in my hazed reasoning, I considered that since the topic had come up it would be great to hear peoples views on the matter, some of you may note, I did not put my personal opinion forward but by merely beginning the subject, some clever soul instructed me to seek out Neo-Nazi forums instead and another suggested that 'General banter' should be discontinued, something I heartily hope, never happens. As far as I'm concerned, NO subject should be off limits as long as there is reasoned argument, in the 'Obama bans guns' thread there were some interesting arguments and I certainly gave them thought.
Whilst discussing paedophilia with an old mate he remarked how lucky we are that we're 'normal' and don't fancy children, how hard it must be to try and switch off that most primal urge. That moment has stayed with me, he changed how I viewed the subject and I still consider him my yardstick, in order to be a better person for it. The same, in some way goes for the people on this forum, we have common ground in the love of an amazing bike and massive differences too, in culture, geography, politics and character and that's the beauty of it, that's the power of the internet. The power to change someone's mind, the power to learn something new and embrace knowledge without prejudice. After all, how are we to learn and enlighten our minds for the better if we can't even discuss it, without assumptions. I understand that this may not be the place for it but it keeps cropping up, in my mind that makes it worthy of discussion. From such debate we might get thunderous cerebration but skies are always clearest after the storm's passed, however, to censor a deliberation, consigns it to the dark and it becomes the topic that must not be named and that my friends, leads to Orwellian nightmares of religious proportions..
Now this chap's a mind changer..
Whilst discussing paedophilia with an old mate he remarked how lucky we are that we're 'normal' and don't fancy children, how hard it must be to try and switch off that most primal urge. That moment has stayed with me, he changed how I viewed the subject and I still consider him my yardstick, in order to be a better person for it. The same, in some way goes for the people on this forum, we have common ground in the love of an amazing bike and massive differences too, in culture, geography, politics and character and that's the beauty of it, that's the power of the internet. The power to change someone's mind, the power to learn something new and embrace knowledge without prejudice. After all, how are we to learn and enlighten our minds for the better if we can't even discuss it, without assumptions. I understand that this may not be the place for it but it keeps cropping up, in my mind that makes it worthy of discussion. From such debate we might get thunderous cerebration but skies are always clearest after the storm's passed, however, to censor a deliberation, consigns it to the dark and it becomes the topic that must not be named and that my friends, leads to Orwellian nightmares of religious proportions..
Now this chap's a mind changer..
